HOW THE BIBLE SHAPES OUR LIVES? - 2 Timothy 3:14-17

all right if you have a Bible or an app

let's open it up we are going to be in

second Timothy this morning the book of

second

Timothy we're going to be looking at

chapter three we're going to have our

focus in verses 14 through

17 and we're going to discuss why God's

word is so vital and necessary in our

lives if you think about it your entire

life is being formed and shaped by

something the way you interact in your

marriage how you parent how you go about

establishing

relationships how you're a business

owner how you're an employee every part

about your life your thoughts your

actions your words they are influenced

by something they're being informed and

shaped to put it another way your your

life is always being directed is always

being influenced and when you think

about it this way you begin to think

about the things that you

consume every

song every movie every podcast every

swipe of the screen it is all geared

towards influencing you in some shape or

form there's an author by the name of

James Clear he wrote a book here's what

he said your mind adapts to what you

consume your soul adapts to what you

love what you feed yourself today is who

you will become

tomorrow or let me phrase it this way

you've undoubtedly heard this before you

are what you

eat we know what that means for us

physically but I want to challenge us

this morning to think about it

spiritually

what are you consuming what are you

allowing your kids to

consume the question that I want to

challenge you is this challenge you with

is this what is shaping your life what

is informing your world view what

directs you in all aspects of your

life Paul the Apostle Paul he's now

nearing the end of his life we've been

in a series over the book of Acts

uh throughout last year in March we'll

dive right back into that series over

the book of Acts but if you've read the

book of Acts you know towards the end

the friends of Paul are telling him if

you go back to Rome you will die and do

you remember how Paul responds he says I

know but it's better for me to die

standing on the truth of the gospel than

it is to live a life dedicated to and

anything that is contrary and

disobedient to the Lord and so Paul in

the final moments of his life begins to

write this letter to Timothy Timothy was

a pastor in Ephesus he was a pro and he

learned a lot of his uh pastoring

abilities how to Shepherd and how to

lead people to the glory of God in

accordance with the gospel he learned

from Paul and so Paul in chapter three I

challenged you guys uh yesterday read

through chapter 3 because it really

gives us some great context and detail

to where we're going this morning he

begins to emphasize the truth of God's

word why scripture is important there

was a lot of political pressure that was

happening during the writing of this

letter there was a lot of social

pressure on how you're to live your life

and it's something that we're exposed in

our world to today are we not there is

cultural pressure on what your life

should look like on how you should

should parent your kids on what your

marriage should look like how you should

view others there there is a pressure

from the world around us that is

influencing and dictating your lives and

what Paul does in chapter three is he

begins to paint this contrasting

picture on one side there are those who

are lovers of

themselves who deny the power of God who

chase after worldly success at the risk

of the truth of God and what that

results in is is really what we learn

from Psalm chapter one or Psalm chapter

Psalms 14 · chapter mention

14 that the fool says in his heart there

is no God and when there is a denial of

scripture when there's a denial of Truth

your life is set on a course that will

lead you to Eternal condemnation and

Damnation to put it another way your

eternity will be spent in hell he

separated from God

forever but then on the other side Paul

begins to paint this picture of what

life looks like for the

individual who looks to the truth of

God's word and don't miss

this is not just transformed in the

mind but it's transformed in the heart

the one who is no longer a lover of self

but becomes a lover of Jesus a lover of

the word a lover of Truth in that

individual's life will be dramatically

different from the one who lives in

denial or rather

Disobedience and let me just challenge

you with this this

morning some of

us we would say we believe God's

word we would say that it indeed is true

and we would even say that it influences

every part of our

lives but if we did some real soul

searching if we really took inventory of

how we live our lives and the thoughts

that will invade our mind and and the

words that will speak and and the

actions that we participate in there

might be a completely different picture

that's painted from the things that we

would say we

believe and it would be a picture that

is painted as an individual who lives on

Disobedience to Jesus Christ

so second

2 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

Timothy chapter 3 beginning in verse 14

here's here's what Paul

writes but as for you now who's he

writing this letter to it's to Timothy

and these are Paul's final words Paul

knows his end is near and if you had

final words and you knew your end was

coming you would choose those words very

carefully well this is what Paul

does after describing what godlessness

looks like after describing the the

individual or the world that would deny

the truth of God's word he he turns his

attention to Timothy but as for you now

no doubt Paul's writing this to Timothy

during a certain time period in history

in a particular context in culture but

make no mistake God is writing these

words to

you so here's what I want to challenge

you with with rather than reading it but

as for you read it this way but as for

Roland put your name in there continue

in what you have learned and have firmly

believed knowing from whom you learned

it and how from childhood you have been

acquainted with the sacred

writings now what about these sacred

writings why are they so

impactful why as Christians do we lean

on scripture do we turn to the Bible as

our source of truth and not only truth

that that we're to believe with our mind

but truth that is a transform our hearts

well Paul continues which are able to

make you wise for salvation through

faith in Christ Jesus verse 16 all

scripture is breathed out by God and

profitable for teaching for reproof for

correction

amen and for training in righteousness

it doesn't end there there's a reason

there's there's a purpose there's

there's a desire that this would result

in something and he tells us in verse 17

that the man of God that but as as for

you

Roland that Roland may be complete and

equipped for every good work and all

God's people

said Lord would you bless your heart

would you bless your word Holy Spirit

would you stir our

hearts I have one goal this

morning and that is to show you how the

very thing that would shape your life

life that would take precedent in

informing your world view should be none

other than the

Bible that everything you experience

that you endure that you encounter in

your life would be viewed through the

filter of God's

word often times and I think we can

pinpoint moments in our life where it's

been the exact opposite where we have

allowed our

experiences and things we endure and the

things that we encounter become the

filter by which we interpret God's word

but that's backwards that's dangerous

and it gets us into situations where we

deny truth twist God's word and live in

Disobedience to his Rule and his law let

me tell you why this is important why

why this

matters especially if we've committed to

maybe changing some things in 2025 if if

we committed to being a different person

this year compared to who we were last

year or or years prior the reason this

is

important is because the design of God's

word the Reason God has has spoken his

word to us and the reason it is endured

and been preserved and persevered

throughout shifting cultures changing

ideologies and continual persecution is

because God's word is designed to shape

you into the image of

Jesus did you know the moment that you

give your yes to Christ the moment you

place your faith in him the moment to

use Paul's words you through through

faith in the sacred writings have now

been informed with the wisdom that leads

to Salvation you are expected to now be

a model of Jesus Christ

you know when it comes to obedience and

the Christian Life obedience is not

optional for us so often that's the way

we lives live our lives do we not we

we'll

choose what laws and rules and

Commandments will live by and then

others will will cast aside love your

neighbor I'm all about that forgive

others I'm all about

that but what about live a life of

Purity save yourself for marriage don't

be given over to drunkenness or

substance abuse how often do we pick and

choose what rules and laws we want to

live out and God's design in preserving

his word for us is not so that we would

pick and choose when to serve Christ

when to reject Christ when to obey when

to disobey but but rather we would

embrace it from Genesis to Revelation

and everything in between we would

embrace it as the Avenue by which God

shapes and informs us into the image of

his

son how it informs our beliefs our

character and our purpose so four things

I want to look at this

morning that um that we can begin to

understand and apply to our lives as we

begin to unpack our passage here in

second Timothy here's the first one if

you're taking notes the Bible is God's

voice to the

world in the past God spoke through the

prophets he spoke marvelous words

through the prophets you can read about

them all in the Old Testament it was a

literal booming voice from the

sky he spoke through nature he spoke

through his creation and and in these

last days he speaks to us now through

his son

Jesus Ry read it this morning John

John 1 · chapter mention

chapter

1 she talked about the eternality of

Jesus in the beginning the word was

there that that everything that exists

is a result of the word it's a result of

Jesus and we know this because the

Living Word Jesus

Christ has now given us the written word

the holy scriptures and so the Bible

serves as God's voice to the world this

is where it all begins and if there's

anything that I want you to know this

morning if if there's anything that that

you

retain from this Sunday I I pray that

it's this that God's word speaks to

us this is Paul's

precise meaning in verse 16 go back with

me to verse

16 he says all

scripture is breathed out by

God every word on this page and the

original writings were breathed out by

God some translations will use the word

inspired it was all inspired by God what

does does that

mean why is that so significance

significant Paul he's really detailing

three important things to us with that

word use usage God breathe number one

he's emphasizing divine

origin that these are not man's words

these are God's words he's asserting

that that every time we gather and study

and read in your personal time and in

public that the Bible is not merely

human words about God but they are God's

words that the Bible is not just about

God it is from

God the Apostle Peter will go on to

write some

letters in the New Testament here's what

he writes in second Peter

2 as he is addressing Christians who

have been dispersed because of

persecution he's reminding them of the

power of God's word here's what he says

You must realize that no prophecy in

scripture ever came from the prophet's

own understanding it has divine origin

it's not from the thoughts of men nor is

it from the wisdom of man Proverbs will

say this way the wisdom of man will be

his

folly in other words if all we ever do

is rely on our own strength on our own

ability on our own wisdom we will falter

fail and fall short it may get us so far

it may even take us to places that we

desired but eventually we will fail and

fall short of what God desires for our

life Peter knows this as he receives

this inspiration as God speaks to him he

records us describes and he says these

words have never come from our uh our

own understanding verse 21 they've never

come from Human initiative no those

prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit

as they spoke from God so the scripture

being God brief it tells us that this is

from divine origin this is God's voice

to the world but it also means this it

also means that it has absolute

Authority now we can be honest in church

this is a safe place for

us I bet that if you thought long and

hard about your Christian walk whether

you've been a Christian for decades or

or whether you are a new believer at

some point in your life you have taken

issue with the authority of the word

I think about my own life one of the

biggest things I take issue with

sometimes is that we're to be

compassionate and kind to everyone all

the time now how many of us are

compassionate and kind to everyone all

the

time we're not anger takes root

bitterness can take over maybe it's an

unforgiving heart but God's word calls

us to compassion and kindness it has

absolute Authority just as God spoke

creation into existence and it obeyed

his commands his word it carries Divine

weight it carries the authority of God

it means that this now becomes our

standard for Faith for Doctrine for life

and don't miss this this is important

this becomes the standard

not tradition not opinion not experience

and often times we'll use tradition

opinion and experience to interpret the

truth of God's word but it's the truth

of God's word that should be the lens by

which we interpret our Traditions

opinions and

experiences so it's divine origin it's

absolute Authority and here's what we

all know and what all believers have

experienced God's word as as his voice

to the world is lifegiving in nature

what does that mean it means that when

we fill ourselves with the word of God

it speaks life into

US perspectives begin to shift Focus

begins to transform and we become a

people that live life as the New

Testament will later put who have found

wholeness and the completion of Joy why

because God's word has breathed life

into US it has brought

transformation and change God's word is

not

static it's

Dynamic and it es and flows through our

life as the spirit breathes Vitality

into the hearts of Believers so the

Bible is God's voice to the world it has

divine origin it it carries absolute

Authority and it's lifegiving in nature

here's the second thing that we

find the B shapes what we

believe it's going to guide inform

influence and direct again our

understanding of of who God is of what

salvation is of what sin is of Eternity

it all comes from the word of God go

back with me to verse 16 I'm sorry verse

14 Paul says as for you continue in what

you have

learned and have firmly

believed don't miss

this you can't firmly believe

something if you've not learned

it which is why it is so important that

we activ and consistently engage with

God's word we can't know the god of the

word if we don't know the word of God we

can't know what God expects of us if we

don't know his rule his law and his

commands and Paul as he reminds Timothy

in these latter years of his life he

tells him continue in what you have

learned and what you firmly believe

if we are not

anchored

solidified and stand firm on the truth

of God's

word then we will like the author of

Hebrews says be tossed to and fro by

every wind of Doctrine by every cunning

deceitful Lie from man from the world

and from the culture how do we know what

is

true how do we know what is demanded of

Our Lives because without

scripture without God's word then we're

left to rely on human

understanding now I know I can't speak

for all of us specifically but I can

speak for Humanity generally and we'll

agree with this we don't know

everything we are not perfect

we will

fail and we will fail often we will sin

and we will sin often so praise God that

we don't have to depend on human

understanding but he has provided the

way so that our beliefs can shape us and

inform us so that what we have firmly

learned right here in the scripture we

can live out as we firmly

believe

it it's been set this way the the Bible

informs the mind so that it can

transform the

heart but what does that mean

necessarily it means this that the Bible

isn't just a

manual for moral

Behavior it's not just about changing

the way you

behave CU all of us can do

that we can fake behavior all we want

many of us in here we're faking it right

now teenagers some of you you're faking

it really well and your parents think

that you're the model

child adults some of us are in here and

we're faking it right now and your

friends your acquaintances here at

church think that you got life figured

out let me just tear the wall down none

of us have it figured out

let's just stand on that

business which is why the gospel is so

beautiful because Jesus steps into our

mess he steps into our hypocrisy he

steps into our sin and he says come and

follow me take up your cross and come

after me the Yoke and the burdens and

the weight of this worlds will tear you

down and take you to places that you

never thought you'd find yourself at but

if you come after

me my burden is easy and my yoke is

light and you will discover rest for

your

souls I pray that we would find rest

church I pray that 2025 would be a

year that despite the pain and the chaos

we find rest in the way the truth and

the life and so the Bible's not just a

manual

for good moral Behavior the Pharisees

they behaved morally but time and time

again Jesus challenges them and what

does he say your hearts are far from

me as the Bible shapes our beliefs the

Bible invites us into a

story it's a story that God has

written it's a story that places your

soul in the palm of his hand that that

places your children your family your

marriage your work everything about you

it places it in the palm of his hand and

Christ says I got

you I'm with you I'll guide you I'll

direct you I am inviting you into my

kingdom story and don't miss

this in God's kingdom story we are not

the main

character Christ is his mission and his

kingdom praise God that we've been

invited in to have a supporting role

and that role is wonderful that role is

vital it's important our role here in

orang Grove Texas is important because

it impacts lives for all eternity Your

Role here at the Grove is important

because it impacts the Next Generation

to come but how can you be

impactful if you don't know where to

guide people that's where the Bible

comes

in I'm telling you if you want to make

an impact in this life it starts by

being shaped and formed by God's word

but the Bible doesn't just shape what we

believe here's what I

love the Bible confronts us when we

begin to stray away right that's the

third thing that we learn the Bible

shapes our

character here's the hard

truth none of us will naturally drift

towards godliness

that's not our default setting our

default setting is to rebel against God

is to live in Disobedience to him from

the

womb we are geared towards rebellion and

sin left to

ourselves we become

selfish

prideful and what the Bible

does is the Bible acts like a mirror

that as we gaze into its truth it begins

to reflect back the areas where we need

forgiveness where we need to repent and

where we need to turn away from sin this

is why the Bible shapes our character

remember as God's voice as his word he

has spoken it to us the prophets and the

scribes they've written it down so that

we can be shaped into the image of Jesus

second Timothy

2 Timothy 3:16

3:16 all scripture is breathed out by

God and is

profitable for

teaching for reproof for

correction and for training in

righteousness think about Timothy's

context he's pastoring a church the

church in Ephesus and being surrounded

by false teaching by by cultural

compromise and Paul's reminding him that

when culture veers off course when your

life veers off course God's word the

scripture is there to pull us back to

the center this is where being in tune

with the Holy Spirit is so important so

vital so necessary for the Christian

because it's the holy spirit that brings

accountability in our lives Psalm 119

says I've hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you a

better translation it puts it this way

I've treasured your word in my heart how

of of us treasure the word of God or do

or do we look at it like a chore like a

box it just needs to be checked I did my

duty for the

day here so beautiful about the

sovereignty of

God Even in our laxidasical

attitude the Holy Spirit still moves

still works and God still speaks that

doesn't excuse us from a lack of

commitment and passion for God's word we

must still pursue as he pursues us we

must still treasure as he Treasures us

and what the psalmist is declaring is as

we treasure God's word in our heart as

we store it up it is there to provide

conviction guidance and accountability

that the spirit will bring to light when

we Veer off

course some of us here this

morning in just a moment we're going to

have a time of

response some of us here this morning we

need to get back on course

we have veered off because of Pride

selfishness a a denial to lead our

families well uh we we've embraced The

Vices and The Temptations of the

Flesh and I want to stand in the Gap

with you this

morning and draw your heart and your

mind to perhaps the Holy Spirit

beckoning you to get back on course to

get back on track to to repent of sin

and to say yes to what he has desired

for you maybe some of us this morning

you you've never placed your faith in

Jesus

Christ maybe maybe this is the first

time you've ever heard the gospel

whatever the case I pray that you would

be obedient to the pooling of the Holy

Spirit as the truth of God is made clear

to you to get on the cour on the path

that Christ dieded for to save you so

that your character would reflect

him you know the correction the reproof

the accountability that the Bible

provides it's not always

comfortable but it is

necessary it's necessary for us all so

so here's the hard question are you

allowing the scriptures to confront

you I've shared this with you before

um some of the greatest

insights that that I've received from

the word of God as as the Holy Spirit

leads me as as as I Pastor as I preach

as I study have been in moments where

the scriptures have confronted my

sinfulness and then I just have to sit

and wrestle with

it and it's much easier to just do

this and say I don't want to do with

it but it's wiser and it's better for us

to be

confronted and in our wrestling with it

to be changed and transformed to have

the word of God shape our character it's

not always easy but it is necessary let

the scriptures confront you let the word

of God expose your

sin every one of us in here we should

desire to be a better husband a better

wife a better child a better employee a

better employer an overall better person

let the word of God shape you that way

let it confront you in areas where you

need to be sharpened and here's the

thing that the Bible doesn't just

correct us and leave us there but the

Bible invites Us in said it earlier

invites us into a story where you have a

role and a purpose to fulfill that's the

fourth and last one the Bible shapes our

purpose

it's not just about information and I

love good information that that's why I

love to read I love to be filled with

good information but but the Bible isn't

just about information the Bible is

about

transformation it's about preparing you

for Action preparing you for service to

live out the gospel as you fulfill God's

purpose for your life right here verse

17 that the man of God may be what

complete and equipped for every good

work that word right there

equipped carries some deep meaning here

here's what it tells us that that your

life is not meant to be

passive your life is meant to be

engaging now that's going to look

different for all of us in how we're

gifted and where God calls us to and in

our roles our occupations and and and

what whatever it is that we're geared

towards that's going to look different

for us but we're all going to have the

same goal and the same purpose number

one give honor and glory to God number

two invite people

in the Bible shows us our purpose it

shapes us for our purpose it equips us

for every good

work here's the thing are you willing to

step into all of it through faith and

obedience I am I am so grateful that we

have a full building this week it

blesses my heart thank you Jesus for the

growth you this church is in my prayers

constantly when when our family gathers

at night when we when we pray together

uh I'll almost always close my prayer

this way Lord I I pray for our community

and I pray for our church family

that your hand would be upon them I am

grateful for you being here but here's

what I want to challenge you with why

are you

here what's your

purpose I pray that it's not just to

take up a

seat but I pray that it's to engage in

what God is doing through this local

church and God is doing a lot praise God

for your faithfulness I want to invite

you into that story The Bible invites Us

in to that that

story so let me bring it all

together the Bible's not just a

book The Bible's the voice of

God it's given to shape every part of

our

Lives it shapes what we believe it

grounds Us in truth so that we can

combat the lies of the world with the

truth of God it shapes our character

sanctifying us so that we can reflect

the image of God God and it shapes our

purpose it invites us into the story God

is writing and as it invites Us in we

find

completion and equipping for every good

work and here's the challenge I've said

it already you can't be shaped by the

word if you're are not in the

word this the the church ver is

spiritual

formation becoming more like Jesus

discipleship that takes

discipline we're no strangers to

discipline and we will be disciplined

for the things that we're passionate

about let's start engaging with God's

word so that we would develop a passion

for God's word it's not always easy but

it is always worth it what is shaping

you what voice or voices are informing

your world

view some of those voices you need to

cast aside you need to turn away from

and never go back

to other of those voices maybe for a

season you need to step away step away

from that Circle of Friends step away

from those profiles that you follow step

away from whatever it is that you engage

in so so that your passion for God and

his word and his truth will be greater

than your passion for those things let's

commit to being a people shaped by the

word of God Amen let's pray